Italy - Serie A1 2008/2009

Something else to mention in this round - Itas Trentino finally overcame Sisley Treviso In crisis or not, Sisley has been the black cat for Trento for quite some time already! I am sure it must have been a sweet victory

The last round will be nice though teams like Cuneo, Piacenza and Perugia will be demotivated... What I most regret will be the absence of Modena in the play-off phase. This has always been a great time, I don't know what happened this year... I hope they can make the new team they have been rumoring about because, potentially, Modena deserves to be among the first 8 more than Montichiari or Vibo Valentia!

hm, Modena, maybe you're right, but only from aspect of tradition, this year they didnt deserve it at all, their place on table is 100% deserved. Monti and Vibo showed much more this season.

What i regret is relegation of Padova, they had a lot worse roster last years and never relegated so i didnt expect it this season. According to shown, besides Forli, Martina Franca deserved relegation this season IMO,not Padova.

It is pretty real situation, if Verona doesnt enter playoffs (hope they wont), currently best 8 teams in Italy will play playoffs, and others must improve for next season

Quote from YavorD

Modena deserves to be among the first 8

especially for their fans, who, even if we are not in good relationship with them, are really "hot" and chaotic.
i think next year they will build a very strong team, but this year they deserved to stay out of the playoff

Sisley overcame Cuneo 3-0 in the first match of the last round of the regular season. Quite expected! Sisley made it to the play-offs though they have obvious problems, but should never be underestimated! Another play-off couple became clear - Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo - Acqua Paradiso Gabeca Montichiari. Now the last spot remaining - Vibo Valentia or Verona?

no surprise...Cuneo with the head to Athens and Treviso that have never been out of the playoffs in 21 years...
it was quite easy to predict this result, maybe not a 3-0 so quick but at least a 3-1.
anyway now i hope Treviso will face Trento...
and the last place will be taken by Vibo Valentia, it's 99% sure

yes my vote also goes to vibo, unmotivated monti will be trashed on the far south so fixtures will be Macerata - Sisley and Trentino - Vibo Valentia.

I'm very interested in match-up Piacenza-Perugia, it is not to be smart and know that full Piacenza is much much stronger than Perugia, it was obvious in first part of season. So if somehow Lorenzetti and medical staff can prepare team like in november and december of 2008 (if possible) in best of 5 series Perugia has no chances. Copra. mate, you will know such informations for sure

luckily, Bravo is almost recover, for the playoffs he can play at his top. he's very important for us.
Zlatanov has began to spike last week, if he won't suffer pain he will be able to play, but i don't think in match 1, maybe in match 2 versus Perugia.
Falasca is improving also, but he won't be able to play in these quarterfinals, maybe in the semifinals if we can qualify.
and i totally agree with you Raul...if we can play with all our players we are much stronger than Perugia, but we will see...

As i read, teams that are fixed on table, Perugia, Piacenza and Monti will rest teams tomorrow, playoffs are for 7 days, no one wants to risk any injury. Berrutto said his watch is timed for March 30 already

Sisley Treviso - Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 3-0 (25-19 25-18 27-25)

Lube Banca Marche Macerata - Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza 2-3 (26-24 25-23 22-25 16-25 6-15)

Stamplast Martina Franca Itas Diatec Trentino 3-2 (16-25 32-30 23-25 25-21 15-12)

Marmi Lanza Verona Yoga Forlì 3-2 (25-20 18-25 25-23 15-25 15-13)

Trenkwalder Modena Rpa-Luigibacchi.It Perugia 3-0 (25-23 25-22 25-16)

Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia - Acqua Paradiso Gabeca Montichiari 3-0 (29-27 25-17 25-22)

Framasil Pineto - Antonveneta Padova 0-3 (23-25 22-25 18-25)

Standing
1° Lube Banca Marche Macerata 57
2° Itas Diatec Trentino 56
3° Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 53
4° RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia 50
5° Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza 48
6° Acqua Paradiso Gabeca Montichiari 42
7° Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia 39
8° Sisley Treviso 38

9° Marmi Lanza Verona 36
10° Trenkwalder Modena 33
11° Stamplast Martina Franca 28
12° Framasil Pineto 25

13° Yoga Forlì 21
14° Antonveneta Padova 20

Playoff:
Macerata-Treviso
Trento-Vibo Valentia
Cuneo-Montichiari
Perugia-Piacenza

big scandal as every year in every last round of the regular season....
this time Macerata and Trento wanted to miss Treviso in the playoffs in order to play versus Vibo which they think it's better...
so they lost both their matches after having known that Treviso would have been 8th...
this is really sick. and Trento often do this....
in 2005 they did the same trying to miss again Treviso and they "choosed" to play versus us in the quarterfinals(we won the regualr season that year....).
result: we qualify to the semis and Trento went home...
if you're a great team you shouldn't have fear of anybody...but obviously it's not the truth for Trento and Macerata...
shame!

I think that this is a quite normal and wide spread thing in volleyball (and not only ). It is also somehow part of the game and almost every team which has the opportunity to do it - just do it. It is very logical, really not "Fair paly" but it can't be fighted. In every championship all over the world this is the situation. Exsisting sport without this part of the game is too romantic vision about the things

we will see, but choosing Vibo as the hottest team currently could make some damage to Trento, also Macerata will have big problems to sisley as well. Especially cause they are playing so quick cause of mutual semifinals of CL. I just cant wait to see this two games, just doubt big favourites will go in Prague with 2-0 lead in domestic quaterfinals

Quote from volley super fan

Exsisting sport without this part of the game is too romantic vision about the things

so sorry if i'm too romantic and if i want to see fair play and loyalty in sports...

just to add something...
everyone in Italy is criticizing Trento...
Matej Cernic, Martina Franca's player, disgusted by the situation, during the tie-break served with his feet on the floor.....(as you do in 5th division maybe)...to protest
Della Lunga, Trento's player, the action before, did the same only to launch his ball 5 mt out of the court intentionally to loose the point...
at the end of the game, ALL the people in the hall of Martina Franca shouted BUFFONI to Trento's players, in english translation would be BUFFOONS, CLOWNS...
if you want there's a small video on http://www.gazzetta.it which shows the actions i've written before...you can see it on the right side of the page...have a look.... notice the disgustation of Cernic while he's serving....and the way the ball falls on Trento's court...

Well done Matej, You can see when he walks to 6 after the Serve, he walks as if he is on the street and not playing volleyball and that is great

Quote from Copra Piacenza

so sorry if i'm too romantic and if i want to see fair play and loyalty in sports...

Don't get me wrong. I also really want the same but I think that unfortunately it is not very possible to happen nowadays. I have always respected atlethes who know what fair paly is but they are not so many already. In Bulgaria similar things happen all the time in our football championship but luckily our volley league is much "cleaner" from these tricks. So I think that will for seeing fair paly and loyalty is wonderful because to be a sportsman means always to go for win no matter in what situation you are and what this success could bring you - positives or negatives but it is still too romantic vision and this kind of "cheating" unfortunately won't stop soon. Something more - it is even getting more and more wide spread

Hahahaha I like how he OWNS trento with his under hand serve, that is funny as hell. Yeah Trento losing matches intentionally is retarded. I udnerstand if you give your starting 6 some rest, but I think the rest should still play their ass off. I think losing intentionally will fuck with your psychology anyway... better is just to keep the vibe and stay in form.

just to make an end to this story....
Trento do this simply because....they are not a winner team! they have nothing of the winner: mentality, consciousness...nothing.
in 10 years playing at high levels they have reach the first final of their history only last year, not as Treviso, Modena, Piacenza, Macerata or even Cuneo.
they will get what they deserve....BE ELIMINATED in the playoffs.
and i support Macerata for the Champions League semifinal...

So, what you suggest is that the Italian Serie A1 was won by a team who is not a winner team?!? Then, how is that possible? Dude, I totally agree with you about the situation in the last round, but as you said, Macerata also did it with the same intent! If you hate Trentino in general, then OK, this is your country, you have your own arguments for sure, but every team on Trentino's place would have done the same thing - even Macerata to avoid Sisley, and I am pretty sure about it! As we discussed throughout the whole season - this is the best league in the world with all the 14 teams capable of making surprises, and maybe 7-8 teams with great potential to reach further into the play-off stage! It's normal then to have some preferences, it's not some other league, where there are 2-3, maximum 4, serious title fighters... then, it would not matter whether you play against 7th, 8th, or 6th team in the final regular season ranking!

Don't get me wrong, I DO NOT APPROVE what I saw on this link someone shared! This is not sport, this is not fair play, you are all right, you would all agree! But this is what most of the teams in the world would do to fulfil their preferences when they have the choice in their hands! I am sure Macerata would have done the same if they were currently second and wanted to avoid Sisley. I am not saying Vibo is a weak team, there are none among the 8, which made it to the next stage!

Just a few reminders to let you know that such things happened before (they are both connected to Bulgarian NT because I watched both games and clearly recall the situations):

1 - ECH2003, Germany - last round of the group stage, Bulgarian performance has been awful with a record of 2-3 (wins-losses) before the final game of group 1, decisive for the final ranking. Serbia (already qualified as a group leader) playing with all the back-up players loses to Poland 2-3, Poland becomes with an active of 3-2 (wins-losses) and continues to the placement round (5-8th place), Bulgaria goes home. It has been a frustrating championship for us, I blame only the players and the stupid federation for the mistake with Kaziyski then, but if Serbia had played fair and tried to win, we might have been through, not the Poles! Serbia finished 4th then.

2 - WCH2006, Japan - last round of the second phase, Bulgaria beat France the previous day and qualified for the semis, Brazil had to beat us on the final day to qualify with us and send France play for 5-8th place. Bulgaria played with all the back-ups then, losing 1-3 to Brazil, choosing Poland for the semis, sending Brazil instead of France into the semis; lately, Bulgaria finished 3rd, Brazil, as we all know, first! If only we had played seriously against Brazil and kicked them out...

I am just saying - hate the game, not the players End of topic for me!

yes, i don't like Trento, it's obvious, but even their own supporters felt ashamed for what happened last round...
they criticized in a heavy way their players, saying that the italian champions must not have fear of anyone.
i wonder why Treviso NEVER choosed the opponent for the playoffs in 20 years...
i wonder why my team(and i don't say iy cause i support Piacenza, but because it's amatter of fact) NEVER choosed the opponent.
Cuneo as well....
because all these are teams with the right mentality, the one that you know that to win a title you have to beat everyone.
if ,after having win an italian title, you continue to fear a team, you don't deserve respect, you're not a winner "in your head", you will find many problems to win again.
that's my thought.